* CAT RESULTS The results of CAT 2008 will be available from January 9th 2009 on the cat website: www.catiim.in. The scores can be accessed by keying in the test registration number and either the date of birth (preferred) or the cat application number.
* CAT-takers can also access their CAT-2008 scores by using SMS facility of mobile phones. For SMS, candidate can type ?CAT test registration number date of birth (ddmmyy)? or ?CAT test registration number application number? for example: ?CAT 5370082 030482? or ?CAT 5370082 123456? and SMS to ? 57333?.
* CAT RESULTS by E-MAIL: Candidates who wish to get their results by e-mail should register themselves between October 24, 2008 and November 30, 2008 by sending an SMS to 57333 as follows: ?CAT registration number date of birth (ddmmyy) email id? Please note that only one e-mail id will be registered against a test registration number. Example:If TRno is 1234567 & DOB is 20-Feb-1986, then the msg format will be: CAT 1234567 200286 abc@rediffmail.com
Please Note that the Date for Registering E-mail address by SMS is from 24th Oct 2008.
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Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
WHAT THEY DON`T TEACH YOU AT B-SCHOOL
WHILE MY BUSINESS SCHOOL experience was certainly one of the most enriching, I have realised over time that life is a bigger teacher. My experiences, personal and professional, the people I have met from different walks of life as well as all the reading that I have done over the years have probably taught me more about business than my B-school education.Here are some of the things that I have learned over the years that help me with my everyday journey.
Think win-win: I believe that essentially people have two types of mindsets — one, of scarcity, and the other, of abundance. When you look at something from the first perspective you are playing a win-lose game, which always hurts in the long term. You may win a couple of deals but sooner or later the person who has lost will resent you. But if you look at things from the second viewpoint, you can build more lasting relationships. Win-win requires that you put yourself in the other person’s shoes.
Understand before being understood: I read in a book once that being understood is a basic need of every human being. It is akin to the oxygen one needs to breathe to live. Therefore, when you simply start talking without understanding another person, it is like taking away that person’s oxygen. Much of business success depends on effective communication between teams and consequently having the ability to be understood.
Begin with the end: To begin with the end is to start with a clear idea of the goal. Once that is clear, you will have a better idea of the steps you need to take to get to that destination. Imagine the kind of house you would end up with if you started building it without a visual representation of what it should eventually look like. The same rules should apply in business. All too often I find people struggling with seemingly simple tasks — more often than not, they are not clear about what they are trying to achieve or somewhere along the track they lose perspective of their goals.
Build credibility: Real trust comes from developing a sincere interest in others and being committed to them. It comes from making only those promises that you can keep, even in adverse conditions. Life, especially in business, moves in circles rather than a straight line. You will meet the same people again, you will be faced with similar situations more than once, and you will be tested again and again. What will ultimately matter is your conduct and your final actions. People tend to trust people who have build credibility by doing the right things.
Anupam G Mittal graduated from Boston College in 1996
Think win-win: I believe that essentially people have two types of mindsets — one, of scarcity, and the other, of abundance. When you look at something from the first perspective you are playing a win-lose game, which always hurts in the long term. You may win a couple of deals but sooner or later the person who has lost will resent you. But if you look at things from the second viewpoint, you can build more lasting relationships. Win-win requires that you put yourself in the other person’s shoes.
Understand before being understood: I read in a book once that being understood is a basic need of every human being. It is akin to the oxygen one needs to breathe to live. Therefore, when you simply start talking without understanding another person, it is like taking away that person’s oxygen. Much of business success depends on effective communication between teams and consequently having the ability to be understood.
Begin with the end: To begin with the end is to start with a clear idea of the goal. Once that is clear, you will have a better idea of the steps you need to take to get to that destination. Imagine the kind of house you would end up with if you started building it without a visual representation of what it should eventually look like. The same rules should apply in business. All too often I find people struggling with seemingly simple tasks — more often than not, they are not clear about what they are trying to achieve or somewhere along the track they lose perspective of their goals.
Build credibility: Real trust comes from developing a sincere interest in others and being committed to them. It comes from making only those promises that you can keep, even in adverse conditions. Life, especially in business, moves in circles rather than a straight line. You will meet the same people again, you will be faced with similar situations more than once, and you will be tested again and again. What will ultimately matter is your conduct and your final actions. People tend to trust people who have build credibility by doing the right things.
Anupam G Mittal graduated from Boston College in 1996
Monday, December 15, 2008
XIMB expects 25% growth in pre-placement offers (PPOs)
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) is expecting over 25 per cent growth in its pre-placement offers (PPOs) this year, compared to last year despite the prevailing economic turmoil.
The premier B-school has already received 32 PPOs this year from top companies like Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages, Tata Group HR, JP Morgan Chase, Cognizant, Axis Bank, Hindustan Times, Godrej, Britannia and Genpact to name a few. More PPOs are in the offing as companies are expected to make offers till the end of this month. Last year, XIMB had bagged 32 PPOs.
Apart from PPOs, the management institute has also been able to secure summer internships for nearly 90 per cent of the first year students of its PGP (post graduate programme) in management. The institute is now gearing itself for Xuberance, the final campus recruitment programme for the 2007-09 batch of PGP students which is scheduled for January 15-22 next year.
Over 100 companies are expected to visit the XIMB campus during this year’s final placements as against 62 companies which visited last year. In last year’s placements, the recruiters across different sectors made a total of 218 offers for the 118 students. Last year, the highest international offer was $85,000 per annum and the highest domestic package stood at Rs 16.5 lakh per annum with the average salary on offer being Rs 10.12 lakh per annum.
Talking on the final placements for the current batch, Sabeeta Mohanty, head, placements committee, XIMB said, “The growth in average salary is likely to be stagnant during this year’s placements owing to the prevailing economic downturn. However, none of our regular recruiters have indicated that they will be hiring lesser students this year”. It may be noted that XIMB has recorded about 100 per cent growth in its average salary over the past three years.
“Many companies are yet to make any final commitment on recruitments as they have kept their fingers crossed over the impending third quarter results. This year, the banking and financial services sector is unlikely to emerge as the top recruiter and we are expecting more recruitment from other sectors”, she added.
The premier B-school has already received 32 PPOs this year from top companies like Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages, Tata Group HR, JP Morgan Chase, Cognizant, Axis Bank, Hindustan Times, Godrej, Britannia and Genpact to name a few. More PPOs are in the offing as companies are expected to make offers till the end of this month. Last year, XIMB had bagged 32 PPOs.
Apart from PPOs, the management institute has also been able to secure summer internships for nearly 90 per cent of the first year students of its PGP (post graduate programme) in management. The institute is now gearing itself for Xuberance, the final campus recruitment programme for the 2007-09 batch of PGP students which is scheduled for January 15-22 next year.
Over 100 companies are expected to visit the XIMB campus during this year’s final placements as against 62 companies which visited last year. In last year’s placements, the recruiters across different sectors made a total of 218 offers for the 118 students. Last year, the highest international offer was $85,000 per annum and the highest domestic package stood at Rs 16.5 lakh per annum with the average salary on offer being Rs 10.12 lakh per annum.
Talking on the final placements for the current batch, Sabeeta Mohanty, head, placements committee, XIMB said, “The growth in average salary is likely to be stagnant during this year’s placements owing to the prevailing economic downturn. However, none of our regular recruiters have indicated that they will be hiring lesser students this year”. It may be noted that XIMB has recorded about 100 per cent growth in its average salary over the past three years.
“Many companies are yet to make any final commitment on recruitments as they have kept their fingers crossed over the impending third quarter results. This year, the banking and financial services sector is unlikely to emerge as the top recruiter and we are expecting more recruitment from other sectors”, she added.
FMCG tops students' wishlist
The Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector has emerged as the most popular industry of choice for the 2009 batch of management graduates. The latest Nielsen Campus Track–B School Survey states.
Vatsala Pant, associate director, The Nielsen Company, said: “Preferences seem to have shifted in favour of large business conglomerates and the IT sector as a consequence of the current global financial turmoil. In particular, students are opting for FMCG companies over the financial sector.”
“Indeed, considering the current financial job market, the security offered by the FMCG industry has become a major attraction for graduates,” Pant added.
Management Consulting (35 per cent), Software/IT Consulting (23 per cent), Foreign Banks and Retailing (both 22 per cent) join FMCG as the five most popular sectors for students, reflecting a change in order of preference.
The survey interviewed around 1,311 management students from the top 40 management institutes. According to the Nielsen survey, a students’ dream company list includes the likes of McKinsey & Co, Google, HUL, Accenture and P&G. Almost 30 per cent of the students named Ratan Tata as their role model.
Personal growth and independence in decision-making are the top factors which students consider before joining a company. The other important factors for students before zeroing in on a company include take-home salary, reputation of the company and flexible working hours.
The average salary expectation of students from their dream company is Rs 14 lakh this year although more than half the respondents have mentally scaled back their expected salary because of the recent financial market environment, particularly those specialising in finance. Of the five most promising sectors for the future — Retailing (30 per cent) topped the list. Management Consultancies (27 per cent), Entertainment and Media (25 per cent), FMCG (21 per cent) and Investment Banking (19 per cent).
“The retail industry has been growing in popularity with graduates over the last few years. Changing government policies and the influx of foreign banners in the sector, along with the entry of big Indian banners, have combined to form a strong pull for the industry,” said Pant.
Vatsala Pant, associate director, The Nielsen Company, said: “Preferences seem to have shifted in favour of large business conglomerates and the IT sector as a consequence of the current global financial turmoil. In particular, students are opting for FMCG companies over the financial sector.”
“Indeed, considering the current financial job market, the security offered by the FMCG industry has become a major attraction for graduates,” Pant added.
Management Consulting (35 per cent), Software/IT Consulting (23 per cent), Foreign Banks and Retailing (both 22 per cent) join FMCG as the five most popular sectors for students, reflecting a change in order of preference.
The survey interviewed around 1,311 management students from the top 40 management institutes. According to the Nielsen survey, a students’ dream company list includes the likes of McKinsey & Co, Google, HUL, Accenture and P&G. Almost 30 per cent of the students named Ratan Tata as their role model.
Personal growth and independence in decision-making are the top factors which students consider before joining a company. The other important factors for students before zeroing in on a company include take-home salary, reputation of the company and flexible working hours.
The average salary expectation of students from their dream company is Rs 14 lakh this year although more than half the respondents have mentally scaled back their expected salary because of the recent financial market environment, particularly those specialising in finance. Of the five most promising sectors for the future — Retailing (30 per cent) topped the list. Management Consultancies (27 per cent), Entertainment and Media (25 per cent), FMCG (21 per cent) and Investment Banking (19 per cent).
“The retail industry has been growing in popularity with graduates over the last few years. Changing government policies and the influx of foreign banners in the sector, along with the entry of big Indian banners, have combined to form a strong pull for the industry,” said Pant.
IIITs hit stumbling block; troubled IT firms may not fund
Around 8 IT firms have withdrawn from partnering 11 out of the 20 IIITs, says govt.
The global economic slowdown is casting a shadow of doubt on the Ministry of Human Resources Development's ambitious plans to set up 20 new Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), even as differences over autonomy have been solved.
The idea of Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) was conceived to develop professional expertise and skilled manpower in information technology (IT) and related areas to meet the challenges being thrown up by the rapid global IT revolution.
Around eight IT companies had committed to partner the government to set up 11 out of the 20 IIITs but are now planning to back out since their own businesses are suffering, sources in the Planning Commission said.
“The support looks difficult to come by. We have already received intimation from a few companies in this regard," a Planning Commission member told Business Standard.
The member declined to name those who had withdrawn but added that they counted among the country’s top IT companies.
"Some had committed to setting up one IIIT and others had promised financial assistance for more than one institute. These companies had committed funds of over Rs 100 crore towards each IIIT," said a source, who is on the board of one of the IT companies that has committed to setting up an IIIT.
Sources said in the new IIITs, the government is considering a model in which the private sector and government will be equal stakeholders, investing Rs 50 crore each.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development, sources said, was even planning to start classes from temporary campuses as it has done in the case of three new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) which are operating from make-shift campuses in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. They are being mentored by the older IITs — Delhi, Chennai and Bombay respectively.
The government has already set up four IIITs in Gwalior (1997), Allahabad (1999), Kancheepuram (2000) and Jabalpur (2005). Three others have been set up by the state governments in partnership with the private sector in Hyderabad, Kerala and Bangalore. The IIIT in Bangalore has Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy as the institute's chairman.
The plan to set up 20 new IIITs was proposed by IT industry body Nasscom in May 2008. The body presented a model Detailed Project Report (DPR) involving partnerships between the central government, the respective state governments and IT companies.
Last week, the government decided that while the new IIITs will enjoy autonomy, the government can question their functioning if the need arises.
A committee set up to examine the proposal has submitted its report suggesting that the Planning Commission should leave it to the state government to give land to identify the place and industry to support the ventures.
The committee has suggested that the government should give importance to north-eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir which does not have a single IIIT. The proposal will come up for Cabinet approval soon.
The global economic slowdown is casting a shadow of doubt on the Ministry of Human Resources Development's ambitious plans to set up 20 new Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), even as differences over autonomy have been solved.
The idea of Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) was conceived to develop professional expertise and skilled manpower in information technology (IT) and related areas to meet the challenges being thrown up by the rapid global IT revolution.
Around eight IT companies had committed to partner the government to set up 11 out of the 20 IIITs but are now planning to back out since their own businesses are suffering, sources in the Planning Commission said.
“The support looks difficult to come by. We have already received intimation from a few companies in this regard," a Planning Commission member told Business Standard.
The member declined to name those who had withdrawn but added that they counted among the country’s top IT companies.
"Some had committed to setting up one IIIT and others had promised financial assistance for more than one institute. These companies had committed funds of over Rs 100 crore towards each IIIT," said a source, who is on the board of one of the IT companies that has committed to setting up an IIIT.
Sources said in the new IIITs, the government is considering a model in which the private sector and government will be equal stakeholders, investing Rs 50 crore each.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development, sources said, was even planning to start classes from temporary campuses as it has done in the case of three new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) which are operating from make-shift campuses in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. They are being mentored by the older IITs — Delhi, Chennai and Bombay respectively.
The government has already set up four IIITs in Gwalior (1997), Allahabad (1999), Kancheepuram (2000) and Jabalpur (2005). Three others have been set up by the state governments in partnership with the private sector in Hyderabad, Kerala and Bangalore. The IIIT in Bangalore has Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy as the institute's chairman.
The plan to set up 20 new IIITs was proposed by IT industry body Nasscom in May 2008. The body presented a model Detailed Project Report (DPR) involving partnerships between the central government, the respective state governments and IT companies.
Last week, the government decided that while the new IIITs will enjoy autonomy, the government can question their functioning if the need arises.
A committee set up to examine the proposal has submitted its report suggesting that the Planning Commission should leave it to the state government to give land to identify the place and industry to support the ventures.
The committee has suggested that the government should give importance to north-eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir which does not have a single IIIT. The proposal will come up for Cabinet approval soon.
Friday, December 12, 2008
CAT's new structure may raise the bar for aspirants
Thousands of students who took the Common Admission Test (CAT) this November fear the increased weight given to verbal questions may cost them their place at the top ranked B-schools.
Last year, there were 27 questions in the verbal section which has risen to 40 this year. This includes 20 questions on grammar and English usage and 20 questions on comprehension. The answers to these questions may not match the answer keys, soon to be released by the premier Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), since verbal queries, unlike quantitative ones, are open to interpretation.
“Although we solved almost all the questions in the verbal section and believe the answers are right to the best of our knowledge, we are still unsure that they would be considered right by the institutes. Since questions in the verbal section are based on subjective interpretations, we are not sure whether our answers would be endorsed by the IIMs. Even a post-CAT discussion about verbal section among peers who took CAT led to a lot of confusion,” rues Sameer Pujar, a Bangalore-based IT firm employee who took the CAT this year.
The student concerns have been highlighted by MBAUniverse — a management information portal which analysed the answer keys released by MBA preparation institutes including IMS, TIME, Career Launcher and PT Education — which concluded that in nine of the 20 questions, the institutes had different answers. “We have found nine questions where experts from MBA preparation institutes have come up with different answers.
The answers will be released by the IIMs on January 9, but even then, we do not expect to get any explanations from the IIMs on why a particular answer is correct,” said an official from MBAUniverse.
Ajay Arora, Bangalore-based director of TIME, a coaching institute said that since CAT 2006, some questions — especially in the verbal section — have been found to be ambiguous every year. “We have seen that in a number of questions, at least two of the options could be interpreted as the right answer,” he said.
In fact, Gautam Puri — an IIM-Bangalore alumnus and MD of Career Launcher, a coaching institute — had filed an application under the RTI Act seeking solutions to questions in the English section of CAT 2006 after noting that some of the answers were disputable. However, the CAT group communicated to him that due to security reasons, CAT solutions are not preserved. “We have followed the procedure of not maintaining documents relating to CAT solutions to avoid leaks. We provide the answer keys for the benefit of students,” said an IIM admission official.
“It is unfortunate that a number of questions are interpreted differently by different people. There have been questions where students have been asked to state if a given paragraph is a fact, an inference or a judgement. Answers to some of these questions don't seem to correspond with the paragraph,” says Puri. Nevertheless, the 250,000 students who appeared for CAT 2008 will have to wait till January 9 for the answer.
Last year, there were 27 questions in the verbal section which has risen to 40 this year. This includes 20 questions on grammar and English usage and 20 questions on comprehension. The answers to these questions may not match the answer keys, soon to be released by the premier Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), since verbal queries, unlike quantitative ones, are open to interpretation.
“Although we solved almost all the questions in the verbal section and believe the answers are right to the best of our knowledge, we are still unsure that they would be considered right by the institutes. Since questions in the verbal section are based on subjective interpretations, we are not sure whether our answers would be endorsed by the IIMs. Even a post-CAT discussion about verbal section among peers who took CAT led to a lot of confusion,” rues Sameer Pujar, a Bangalore-based IT firm employee who took the CAT this year.
The student concerns have been highlighted by MBAUniverse — a management information portal which analysed the answer keys released by MBA preparation institutes including IMS, TIME, Career Launcher and PT Education — which concluded that in nine of the 20 questions, the institutes had different answers. “We have found nine questions where experts from MBA preparation institutes have come up with different answers.
The answers will be released by the IIMs on January 9, but even then, we do not expect to get any explanations from the IIMs on why a particular answer is correct,” said an official from MBAUniverse.
Ajay Arora, Bangalore-based director of TIME, a coaching institute said that since CAT 2006, some questions — especially in the verbal section — have been found to be ambiguous every year. “We have seen that in a number of questions, at least two of the options could be interpreted as the right answer,” he said.
In fact, Gautam Puri — an IIM-Bangalore alumnus and MD of Career Launcher, a coaching institute — had filed an application under the RTI Act seeking solutions to questions in the English section of CAT 2006 after noting that some of the answers were disputable. However, the CAT group communicated to him that due to security reasons, CAT solutions are not preserved. “We have followed the procedure of not maintaining documents relating to CAT solutions to avoid leaks. We provide the answer keys for the benefit of students,” said an IIM admission official.
“It is unfortunate that a number of questions are interpreted differently by different people. There have been questions where students have been asked to state if a given paragraph is a fact, an inference or a judgement. Answers to some of these questions don't seem to correspond with the paragraph,” says Puri. Nevertheless, the 250,000 students who appeared for CAT 2008 will have to wait till January 9 for the answer.
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